Patan

After a hearty breakfast at the Kathmandu Guest House we’re off to Patan.  We’ve heard it isn’t far so as we are bombarded with offers from the rickshaw drivers we decide to give it a try. These are made for one person, two small people may do ok but it was a tight squeeze for us, incredibly bumpy and really uncomfortable… the trip lasts a long 45 minutes… maybe longer, it seemed longer… my rickshaw days are over.

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Freak Street (a term coined in the 60/70’s) and Kathmandu Durbar Square is our next destination. The place is teaming with locals, tourists, vendors and colourful characters.

We are lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse of the Kumari, a young Buddhist girl possessed by a Hindu goddess, as she appears at the window. She is usually found in Patan but as we didn’t see her on our trip there we were in luck today.  Pictures are forbidden but my finger was twitching.

There are so many fascinating sights to see here, centuries of Buddhism and Hinduism each with their own style of temples side by side.

Swayambhunath

Another day and another temple this one is called Swayambhunath but it’s also known as The Monkey Temple.

After climbing too many stairs to even think about counting we arrive to find a Stupa, ancient buildings and a fabulous view of Kathmandu.

Monkeys run between the crowds, so used to people, they play and jump from place to place with ease. Wish I had half of their agility I think as I huff and puff after the climb.

The sun finally poked its head from the clouds, and we heat rather quickly so decide to go for a cooling drink.  We’ve  had some powerful storms the past few days so the sun is a welcome sight.  We head into a cafe and are directed up more tiny, windy stairs to the roof…great leg workout today!

Pashupatinath Temple

Our last Kathmandu outing is to the Hindu temple at the head of the Ganges River.

Here is where the Indian people come to say goodbye to those who have passed on.

The bodies covered in golden cloth, bathed in the river then covered with more golden cloth, flowers and incense is lite. From a nearby temple there is chanting. Later they are taken to a to a prepared woodpile a little further down the river where they are burned, the ashes  later returned to the river.

There are about 60 of these funerals each day, just for adults, children are buried. Further down the river, as it travels through Kathmandu on its way to India we’ve seen people washing cloths and themselves in the same water.

3 million people call Kathmandu home, the hindi outnumbering both the Nepalese and Tibetan, it was built for much less. There is a lot of poverty, so much pollution, and far away from our comfortable lifestyle we are accustomed to. The Nepali people we have talked to have been really nice but I can’t help but feel like a dollar sign to them, most of them anyway. And as I sit in yet another airport I can’t help but feel very fortunate for all the opportunities that we have.